


Gift

by alafaye



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-03
Updated: 2012-12-03
Packaged: 2017-11-20 05:24:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/581749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alafaye/pseuds/alafaye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur gives Merlin a weird gift. (Future AU)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gift

**Author's Note:**

> Written for day 3 of the advent challenge at the LJ community, "advent challenge". Prompt is "weird gift".

"For you," Arthur said. He held out the badly wrapped, oddly shaped gift with pride and a little fear.

Merlin smiled and took it. "You didn't have to get me anything."

Arthur clasped his hands behind his back and shifted on his feet, unsure. "I wanted to."

Merlin frowned. In the years they'd known each other, they had only exchanged gifts once or twice. It wasn't something they did. Much like anything else that would define a conventional relationship. Merlin could count on one hand the number of times either of them had voiced their feelings and he wouldn't need all of the fingers. He slowly unwrapped the gift and blinked. 

"You got me a sword?"

Arthur nodded once, firmly. "I did. It's a practical gift. Very useful."

"For someone who isn't magical," Merlin said with a pointed raised eyebrow.

"Or finds himself in a certain area where magic is useless," Arthur said.

Oh, Merlin thinks. He looks at the sword again--set in a belt etched with the magical runes of the Druids. The sword was as fine as Arthur's preferred sword. Sharp, strong, and etched with the same runes as the belt. Not magical themselves, they would not be affected by a spell meant to cut through and end other spells, but would still lend Merlin greater protection than the sword alone. That is, the sword itself would be protection enough, but the runes made it more so.

And it was exactly the sort of thing Merlin should have expected after last month. A routine hunting trip had turned up a scouting party from an enemy kingdom. A battle had broken out, but they had their own wizard; one whose skill was meant to protect them. The knights had been led into an area that the wizard had marked out and left Merlin without the use of his magic. Luck had held out for Merlin and he'd picked up a sword from one of the downed scouts.

But clearly Arthur hadn't been satisfied.

"We were lucky that Lancelot had killed one of them early so you had a sword to battle with," Arthur said. "But I don't want it happen again."

Merlin smiled sadly. "Who worked this for you?"

"Elyan," Arthur said. "And I asked one of the visiting Druids last month to help him with the rune etchings."

"It's beautiful. Not a traditional gift, but beautiful."

Arthur scoffed. "Then next time I'll give you silk robes. I'm told it's very traditional and Gwen was very appreciative of them."

Merlin rolled his eyes and pulled Arthur close. "Don't you dare. I would never forgive you."

"Never leave your rooms without it," Arthur whispered. "Please."

Merlin rested his forehead against Arthur's and nodded. "I promise."

Arthur's satisfied sigh cheered Merlin's heart.


End file.
